Author(s):

Arti Sharma, Palvi Sharma, Jyoti Thakur, Murali S and Kamlesh Bali

Abstract: The mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is an economically important insect domesticated for silk production. One of the main reasons for decreased cocoon production is the loss due to diseases which account for about 30 per cent. It is affected by a number of diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Among the silkworm diseases, which cause economic damages, the highest crop loss is attributed to viral diseases, accounting for 70 per cent of total loss of the crop every year. Viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens which need host cells to replicate. Viral diseases of silkworm comprise of inclusion and non-inclusion types. The inclusion virus diseases form typical inclusion bodies. They are nuclear polyhedrosis and cytoplasmic polyhedrosis which can be more easily identified through ordinary microscopy. The non-inclusion type consists of infectious flacherie and densonucleosis which can be detected only through electron/fluorescent microscopy and serological tests.The collection of information on investigations related to viral diseases in silkworm is highly helpful to monitor, prevent and control them. However, such collection of data on various diseases of silkworm in general and viral infection in particular in worldwide is very limited. Pathological status of the diseased animal can be evaluated in terms of symptoms resulting from the interactions between host and pathogen which in turn depends on the degree of attack, progress of diseases, metabolic modulations, physiological adjustments, molecular mechanisms, and the defence immune system of the silkworm. An attempt has been made in the present study to provide the relevant information related to the viral diseases of silkworm larvae.

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